Advisortrust Partners LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Advisortrust Partners LLC grew its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 20.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 67,142 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 11,283 shares during the period. Walmart makes up about 3.5% of Advisortrust Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Advisortrust Partners LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $8,344,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Astra Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 7.1% during the first quarter. Astra Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,550 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $317,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. NovaPoint Capital LLC raised its position in Walmart by 2.0% during the first quarter. NovaPoint Capital LLC now owns 84,832 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $10,543,000 after acquiring an additional 1,687 shares during the period. PeakShares LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 1.4% in the first quarter. PeakShares LLC now owns 9,101 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,131,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. Main Street Group LTD raised its stake in Walmart by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Main Street Group LTD now owns 6,187 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $769,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barings LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at $325,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: June U.S. retail sales held up, suggesting consumers are still spending as Walmart heads into the back-to-school season; that could support traffic and sales volumes if the company remains aggressive on pricing. Retail Sales Hold Up as Walmart and Amazon Go Back to School
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is also being discussed in multiple market and analyst roundups, with commentary focusing on its strong digital growth and role as a defensive stock, but these pieces do not appear to include a major new business update. Walmart Commands a 36.74X Forward P/E: Is the Stock Worth Buying?
• Neutral Sentiment: An article about AI and retail highlighted that Walmart is investing in automation while still emphasizing workers, which reinforces its long-term strategy but is unlikely to move the stock on its own. Walmart’s people chief says these 10 jobs are still hot in the age of AI
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts argue Walmart’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment, with one note saying momentum alone may not justify the stock’s high forward P/E. Walmart’s Momentum Cannot Justify The Premium
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart has also been the subject of bearish commentary saying the recent sell-off may not be over, adding to investor caution around the shares. Walmart: The Sell-Off Isn’t Over Yet (Rating Upgrade)

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total transaction of $342,751.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 574,953 shares in the company, valued at $67,953,695.07. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 87,145 shares of company stock valued at $10,691,920. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $114.24 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $909.13 billion, a PE ratio of 40.08, a PEG ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $94.43 and a one year high of $135.15. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $118.82 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $122.04. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.61 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on WMT. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. UBS Group set a $141.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Freedom Capital upgraded Walmart from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Tigress Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.85.

Walmart Profile

Walmart is a multinational retail corporation that operates a broad portfolio of store formats and digital services. Its core business includes large-format supercenters, discount department stores, neighborhood grocery stores and a membership warehouse chain, Sam’s Club. The company’s merchandising mix covers groceries, household goods, apparel, electronics and pharmacy services, supplemented by private-label products and category-specific offerings. Walmart pairs its physical store network with online platforms and mobile applications to provide omnichannel shopping, fulfillment and delivery options for consumers and businesses.

The company was founded by Sam Walton, who opened the first store in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962; it is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.